East Gippsland Shire Council resolved to commission an independent safety inspection of the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool and commence development of a new East Gippsland Aquatic Strategy to guide the future of the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool site and plan for aquatic facilities across the shire at its meeting last night.

The Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool, built in 1969, has been a valued community facility for almost 60 years. However, ageing infrastructure, increasing maintenance costs, and significant safety concerns mean that it currently presents a very real risk for Council.

Council Chief Executive Officer Fiona Weigall said the decision reflects Council’s commitment to community safety, transparency and strategic planning.

“We have a legal and ethical obligation to ensure a safe environment for our staff and the community. This is why Council has called for an independent and detailed safety inspection of the pool and quotes for any repairs or upgrades that may be needed,” Ms Weigall said.

“The pool’s age and condition present significant occupational health and safety risks. We need detailed advice on the extent and causes of these risks, how they might be mitigated, and the cost of any identified repairs and upgrades that could make the pool safe to operate in the short term.”

The Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool has only been opened for limited seasons in recent years, as the ageing infrastructure makes it difficult to bring the facility to an operational standard each year. In 2024–25, there were 1,667 community visits (excluding school carnivals) during the entire outdoor pool season, whereas the nearby Bairnsdale Aquatic and Recreation Centre (BARC) averaged 5,269 each week in the same period.

Eight school carnivals are held at the pool each year, making carnival use significantly higher than recreational use.

“The Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool was built through community effort – local labour and fundraising – and we understand the strong attachment many people have to it,” Ms Weigall said.

“However, the condition, safety risks, and low usage mean we must balance community sentiment with demand and the responsible management of public resources.”

Council will therefore take a dual approach: commissioning both an immediate independent safety inspection and advice on how any hazards may be addressed, while commencing a new East Gippsland Aquatic Strategy. The development of the new strategy will include extensive community engagement, including formation of a community reference group, to develop a vision for the future of aquatic facilities across the shire including the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool site. The process will consider community needs, demand, cost and feasibility.

Once the independent safety inspection is complete, quotes will be sought for any necessary repairs or upgrades identified through the inspection to ensure the facility is compliant with occupational health and safety legislation. This information will then be presented back to Council for further consideration

Previous studies, including the 2015 East Gippsland Aquatic Strategy, explored a full refurbishment of the pool which, at the time, was estimated to exceed $3 million. Instead, using the strategy and engagement with the community as the guide, an investment was made in developing a warm-water pool at the BARC for year-round use.

Council officers have been working in line with a previous Council decision, made in 2016, when adopting the East Gippsland Aquatic Strategy 2015. At that time, condition assessments confirmed that the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool was nearing the end of its functional life and would need to close in the near future. The strategy, unanimously adopted by Council at the time, indicated that the outdoor pool would remain open for as long as practicable, but no further major works would be undertaken at the facility.

Click here to view the full Council report and to view the Council discussion.